


the stars, and your hands

by svdhummus



Category: Minecraft (Video Game), Video Blogging RPF
Genre: Alternate Universe, Angst, Death, Flashbacks, Heavy Angst, M/M, Outer Space, Terminal Illnesses
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-05
Updated: 2021-01-05
Packaged: 2021-03-16 08:07:47
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,998
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28578741
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/svdhummus/pseuds/svdhummus
Summary: dream is in space, and he's lost.in every sense of the word.or: they all die in the end.
Relationships: Clay | Dream/GeorgeNotFound (Video Blogging RPF)
Comments: 30
Kudos: 172





	the stars, and your hands

**Author's Note:**

> warning: a lot of flashbacks :) try not to get lost

_beep. beep._

dream closes the starboard and tears his eyes away from the bright screen. there's no point in looking, but he does anyway. 

18%. that’s all he has left. eighteen.

*

*

he was eighteen when they first met. in the beginning, it was tentative touches, clammy hands, soft kisses bathed in blue light.

 _you make me so nervous,_ he breathed as their lips parted.

_don’t be._

*

**  
*

“fuck,” dream throws the wrench across the room, watches it bounce off the metal table. “fuck, fuck, fuck.”

is it over? is this it? 

the stars outside the reinforced glass are dull. dream stares at them until his vision blurs, remembers when they still sparkled, remembers when they started losing their shine. 

“fuck.”

*

**

*

 _fuck,_ dream gasped as their chests collided, igniting fires on his skin where george’s lips touched—his neck, his shoulders, ears, eyelids. 

sparks danced across their bodies and formed galaxies. a milky way in the crook between george’s neck and shoulder, a nebula down his spine. when their eyes met, all he could see was stars.

 _fuck,_ george murmured into his shoulder. 

*

**

*

*

dream lets the water trickle down his finger, watches it drip towards the ground. 

he washes down the rest of the cup in one dry swallow.

there are only five more gallons. he should be more careful.

*

**

*

_dream!_

he laughed at the panic flashing across the other boy’s expression. 

_dream, get down from there. now._

_fine._ he jumped down from the ledge. george’s hands reached to grasp at the folds of his jacket, holding him down, grounding him. 

_you're such an idiot._ his eyes are angry but his touch is soft. _you should be more careful._

_why? you’ll be here to catch me, won’t you?_

their lips brushed, eyes hidden by the shadows of the night, silhouettes illuminated by the streetlights below.

_of course i will._

*

**

*

*

a shooting star passes the shuttle. dream glances at it warily before pulling the covers over his head, letting the darkness consume him.

*

**

*

it was dark, and they were laying on the rooftop. up here, above the city, their only company was the night sky. dream liked looking at the stars. george liked looking at dream.

george buried his head into dream’s neck, closed his eyes, sunk towards the pull of sleep.

moments later, dream shook him awake. _george! george, look!_

_what is it?_

_it’s a shooting star!_

george glanced at the sky briefly before his eyes drifted back to the other boy. 

dream didn't see the way george looked at him—like dream was george's shooting star, a breathtaking rarity, an enigma that only george held the answer to.

and so, just like always, dream stared at the stars and george stared at dream. 

_make a wish, george._ dream looked down at the boy beside him, only to find that he was already looking back.

_i did._

*

**

*

the engines die. dream punches the screen until it cracks. knuckles bloody and bruised, he laughs bitterly.

out of all the places to get lost in, he chooses space.

as he flutters his eyes closed, his own voice echoes in his head, taunts him mockingly.

you chose your demise. you nailed the coffin.

*

***

*

_george?_

_hm?_

they were back on the roof, legs twisted together, bodies melded into one. after years, dream had whittled a nook into his body, a space that fit only george—and george fit perfectly.

_would you ever go to space?_

_maybe. maybe if you were there with me._

dream traced his finger across george’s soft lashes. replaced it with his lips. 

_i’d catch the stars for you, george._

_i’d like that,_ george breathed, and he meant it. 

_i want to go to space with you._

_i want to go wherever you are._

*

**

*

a cough erupts from dream’s chest. there's a hollowness in the way the sound bounces off the shuttle walls.

it’s nearing the end of the road, and he has a cold. 

“just my luck,” dream whispers.

*

**

*

there was a bird fluttering in his chest, a canary that sung whenever george touched him, whenever george was with him. it was born from the ashes of broken hearts and wet tears—a time that neither of them looked back on, and thought they would never have to again. 

_slow down!_ george called from behind him, and dream laughed. 

sand kicked up at his heels as he ran into the ocean waves. _just get fast, buddy!_

_dream—_

the sentence was ripped away with a violent cough. he turned around, rushed towards the boy on the ground, the wind howling in his ears.

they held each other as george shook relentlessly, waiting out the storm. dream rubbed his back, feeling the warm spanse of skin under his hands—feeling george. the coughs rattled dream’s ribs, rattled his brain, rattled his heart. 

_george._

_i’m okay, dream. it’s just a cold._

the canary fell silent.

*

**

*  
**

the faint crack of electricity is loud in dream’s ears. but it’s not enough. 

he yanks the wires apart, wrings his hands together, and starts over. he keeps starting over.

“come on,” he pleads into the stifling air, fingers fumbling. “ _come on._ ”

*

*

*

_come on, george!_ he reached out his hand, waited for the familiar grasp of the other’s. he could trace the lines on george’s hands by heart if he wanted to. he had committed them to memory. 

he felt the reluctance as their hands touched. george’s fingers didn’t curl confidently around the other’s like they usually did. dream tried not to notice—he tried not to notice a lot of things lately. 

they walked together down the city street and talked about the little things. george interrupted dream’s rant about black holes with a sad whisper.

_dream?_

a pang of worry flashed in his chest. 

_yeah?_

_i love you._

dream stopped them, connected both their hands together, fingers intertwining instinctively like they knew where to go. he stared into george’s eyes, saw the stars, saw how they shined a little less brightly. 

_i know, george. i love you, too._ he pressed a kiss to the other’s forehead. it was blistering.

_you’re burning up._

_i’ll be okay._

the words hung in the air around them. dream could hear the lie. it ricocheted around in his skull, made his head hurt. 

**

**

*

** 

dream crinkles the paper in his hand, lets himself cry for the first time since he got lost.

his tears escape shamelessly, they drip onto the photograph, they carve divots into his skin. 

he’s scared. he’s regretful.

*

**

*

dream slammed the door shut, watched the way george flinched. there were needles on his skin, a dagger in the space above his heart, the place where george rested his head every night while murmuring soft nothings. 

_why. why didn’t you tell me,_ dream heaved and gripped the edge of their kitchen counter. 

_i—i couldn’t. how was i supposed to tell you something like this?_

dream turned around, cupped the sides of george’s face, wanting to see anything but the red that filled his vision. he felt how george’s jawbone pushed against his skin, slid his hands down to george’s shoulders, felt the protruding collarbones. 

he pressed his face into george’s shoulder, and wept.

*

**

*

3%. dream tries to ignore how the lights flicker, how they die. eventually, only the blue glow of the screen remains, and the steady beeping of the starboard. 

_beep. beep._

*

**

*

beep. beep. 

the harsh chemicals of the hospital room burned his nose. he crawled closer to george, inhaling his scent, the honeysuckle and the lavender. 

their hands were clasped together. dream brought them to his face, brushed his lips on george’s knuckles, watched the way george’s pale lips curled into a smile. 

george was smiling but his eyes were empty. the stars in them had died a few weeks ago. dream’s grip tightened as his pain and love blurred together, whirling in his head, uprooting everything inside of him. 

george cupped dream’s cheek with his free hand. brushed his thumb on the wetness under his eyes. _please,_ george whispered. _don’t cry. when you’re sad, i get sad._

dream squeezed his eyes shut and nodded. he’d do anything to make george happy. 

*

**

*  
*

his last days are blending into one another. but today, dream gets up from his small bunk, eats some freeze-dried food, looks outside the shuttle. 

it’s august twelfth. but does time even exist when you’re floating in a tin can? 

dream spends his last birthday fixating on the photograph in his hands. he stares at the two boys in the picture, but they’re only looking at each other. even through the wrinkles created by his worrying hands, even through the discoloration from time and memories, dream can see the stars in george’s eyes. they’re the only stars dream can still see.

a love frozen in time, captured in the calm before a storm. 

*

*  
***

*

it was an august morning. dream brought two cupcakes to the hospital—red velvet for george, lemon for himself. 

george smiled when dream entered the room. 

_good morning, sleepy-head,_ he planted a kiss on george’s cheek before handing him his cupcake.

george blinked owlishly at it. _what’s this for?_

_did you forget what day it is?_

realization flashed briefly on george’s face before morphing into shock and guilt. _i can’t believe i forgot. the days are just blending together._

dream kissed away the other’s frown. _it’s okay, george._

_happy birthday, dream._

dream’s chest tightened as they kissed. he memorized the way george’s nose nudged his cheek, memorized his soft lips, his tender embrace. he held onto the feeling and didn’t let go. he would never let go.

_did you make a wish?_

dream nodded. _you._

george giggled. _but you already have me._

dream’s breath trembled. the pangs in his chest got stronger until they battered against his weak heart. yes, dream had george, had had him for as long as he could remember.

but he was slipping away. and dream wished with all of his heart that he would stay with him a little longer.

george saw the sadness fill up in the other’s eyes. his soft touch reached for dream’s hands, tried to calm the tremors that coursed through his veins. 

_can i make a wish for you?_

dream’s laugh came out wet and sorrowful. _of course._

_i wish that you’re happy. that you’re happy for the rest of your life._

_you’re my life._

george’s fingers clenched around dream’s as he closed his eyes. _that’s not true._

_it is. george._

their gazes met.

 _what am i supposed to do, when you’re gone?_ dream’s voice broke, and the last piece of his resolve fell away. _you’re my whole life. you’re everything i love._

 _that’s not true,_ george repeated. _you love the stars, too._

_the stars? i can’t hold the stars. i can’t kiss them until my lips are bruised._

_dream, please._ the boy’s eyes filled with tears, and dream hated himself for making george cry. 

_i’m—i’m sorry. i just—fuck. i’m gonna miss you so much._

tears were falling down both of their faces, the salt mixing as they kissed with unchained love and raw emotion. 

_i love you, dream._

_i love you, george._

*

*

***

*  
*

dream can feel it. he feels it in the thinning synthetic atmosphere, the way the fans are whirring slower than the day before. 

dream is alone, and he is dying. 

*

**

*

***

his heart was broken. his chest was empty. 

the rooftop felt barren without george’s presence. a sanctuary that they made together had turned into a hell.

dream stared up at the night sky and all he saw was black. he laid there until dusk. as the sun cracked the horizon, he began to cry. 

george was gone.

dream was alone, and he was dying.

*

**

*  
*

there’s something beautiful about it, right? there’s something beautiful about his loneliness. 

he watches the galaxy fly past him as his brain fogs. and in that moment, he remembers his lost loves. he remembers george, and the stars. 

“it was all for you,” he breathes the words into the air. 

“for you, george.”

*

*

**

*  
*

*

**Author's Note:**

> i wrote this all in one sitting hehe. didn't proofread this one too much, i wanted it to be raw
> 
> tldr: dream goes to space after george dies because george wanted him to be happy. however, instead of finding happiness, he gets lost and his ship slowly dies. 
> 
> @sadhvmmus on twitter :) pls come visit me


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